Light Dinners to Lose Weight without Going Hungry

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If you want to lose weight without going too hungry and without making huge sacrifices, it’s important to have light dinners. Since dinners are the meal of the day that can cause the most weight gain, eating less at night can be very effective in helping you reach your weight loss goals.

That’s why we are going to share a few recipes for light dinners that are simple to make, so you can go to bed without going hungry and slowly lose weight.

Does dinner cause weight gain?

You need to remember that what you eat at night, especially if it’s late and you’re not going to exercise before going to bed, will not be burned and will probably form part of your energy reserves. If these reserves are excessive, they convert into accumulated fat, especially if the foods consumed weren’t the best in quality. These are the ones that leave you satiated but that are not easily digested.

The importance of time

Just as important as what you eat, is the time at which you chose to eat. Dinner is early in some European countries, before 6 pm, and then later they eat something light. It’s just the opposite in other countries, in which a snack is eaten in the afternoon, and then dinner isn’t eaten until 9 or 10 at night. It’s best to eat before 8 pm to give yourself enough time to completely digest (of course this also has to do with what time you usually go to sleep). If you go to bed early and you are hungry once again, you could always eat a fruit or drink an infusion.

Dinner balance

A light dinner doesn’t mean that you need to eat lettuce with a tomato. Although you want to lose weight, if you want to do so in a balanced fashion your dinner needs to contain carbohydrates (vegetables, fruit or grains) and protein. That’s why these recipes contain the exact amount that you need.

Vegetable creams

Vegetable creams are very digestive, satiating and easy to prepare, as well as nourishing. You can vary the vegetables that you use according to the season, and you can find different combinations to make them more original:

Pumpkin and cinnamon

Zucchini, garlic and oatmeal

Leeks, onion and pepper

Carrots and ginger

You could also add a bit of legumes to add a portion of protein, and other foods will make it even healthier:

Brewer’s yeast: gives in a delicious toasted flavor

Wheat germ: a very nutritious supplement

Seaweeds: help remineralize the body

Linseed oil: provides essential fatty acids

Gazpacho

Traditional gazpacho or a vegetable smoothie is perfect for hot weather. They are very healthy because they provide a large amount of raw vegetables.

Blend the following ingredients:

Tomato

Cucumber

Red pepper

Garlic

Olive oil

Sea salt

Vinegar

If you chose to eat gazpacho for dinner, you should also eat some sort of protein, like a handful of dry fruit, a piece of queso fresco, white fish, etc.

Apple and pear preserves

If you’re not quite as hungry one day or you’ve eaten too much at lunch time, you can choose something sweet for dinner. Prepare an apple and pear preserve by cooking them with a bit of water or baking them. Add powdered cinnamon, a bit of honey, and a few walnuts.

Vegetables with mushrooms

Vegetables contain a lot of fiber and they have relaxing effects on the body. They also have a lot of other benefits and are digested much easier, which is why they are perfect for dinner. Choose whichever ones you like best: artichokes, green beans, Swiss chard, spinach, etc. In order to add protein, choose beans, because they really are a legume. Mushrooms are also rich in protein and they will taste delicious if sauteed in the frying pan wit garlic, parsley and a bit of smoked pepper.

Onion and egg soup

Lastly, one traditional and very therapeutic recipes for cold days or those moments when you’re starting to feel a cold.

Fry one onion and once it’s soft, add broth (homemade or precooked), minced garlic, thyme, cumin, a little something spicy (pepper, cayenne, etc.) and then in the very last moment, one raw egg. Stir well and your soup will be ready in two minutes. You can serve it with a slice of whole grain toast.

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